Comparison
QuickBooks Online vs Wave (2026): price, fit, and which to pick
Both handle bookkeeping, invoicing and payments. The choice usually comes down to budget, how many people need access, and whether your job app syncs with it. Everything below was read from each vendor's own page on Oct 17, 2026; unknowns are marked unknown, never guessed.
Prices checked
Short answer
Wave's Starter plan is $0 (card payments 2.9% + $0.60) and Wave Pro is $19/mo. QuickBooks Online starts at $38/mo for 1 user (Simple Start) and runs to $340/mo for 25 users. Wave fits a solo owner or small crew on a tight budget; QuickBooks fits more users and connects to more job apps.
QuickBooks Online vs Wave side by side
| QuickBooks Online | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $38/mo (Simple Start) | Free (Starter); Pro $19/mo |
| Plans & pricing | Simple Start $38/mo (1 user), Essentials $85 (3 users), Plus $140 (5 users), Advanced $340 (25 users). New customers offered 50% off for 3 months. Essentials/Plus/Advanced prices rose for renewals on or after 2026-08-01. | Starter $0 (card payments 2.9% + $0.60). Pro $19/mo or $190/yr (promo shown: $9.50/mo for 3 months). |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | Advertised; terms not read; unknown | Not stated |
| Extra users & fees | Not published / not in our data | Starter $0 (card payments 2.9% + $0.60). |
| Spanish | Not published (unknown) | Not published (unknown) |
| Crew size we match | every crew size, from solo owners to 16+ people | solo owners and crews of 2–5 people |
| Trades we match | all 12 trades we cover | all 12 trades we cover |
| Best for | Every crew size, from solo owners to 16+ people; Trades: all 12 trades we cover; Testing before you pay. Free trial: advertised; terms not read | Solo owners and crews of 2–5 people; Trades: all 12 trades we cover; Trying it for $0: it has a free plan |
| Maybe not for | Anyone who needs a $0 plan: there is no free plan; Teams that need Spanish: no Spanish support published (unknown) | Crews of 6–15 or 16+ people: outside the crew sizes we match it to; Teams that need Spanish: no Spanish support published (unknown) |
| Connects to (vendor-claimed) | None listed / not checked | None listed / not checked |
| Price checked & source | · vendor pricing page (read via search snippet; direct fetch blocked) | · vendor pricing page |
Which should you pick?
Pick QuickBooks Online if…
- Several people need access: Essentials includes 3 users ($85/mo), Plus 5 users ($140/mo), Advanced 25 users ($340/mo).
- New customers: Intuit offered 50% off for 3 months when we checked. Note that Essentials, Plus and Advanced prices rose for renewals on or after Aug 1, 2026 (see the price-change log).
- You have 16+ people: we match QuickBooks Online to crews that size; Wave tops out at crews of 2–5 people.
- Your other apps need to connect: 14 tools in our directory list a QuickBooks integration (for example Jobber, Housecall Pro and Workiz), vs 0 for Wave.
Pick Wave if…
- You want bookkeeping and invoicing for $0: Starter costs nothing; you pay 2.9% + $0.60 when customers pay by card.
- You might want a little more later: Pro is $19/mo or $190/yr (a promo showed $9.50/mo for 3 months).
What we couldn't verify
- Whether QuickBooks Online's trial needs a card.
- QuickBooks Online's Spanish support: nothing published that we found.
- QuickBooks Online's pricing page blocked direct reading; prices were read from the vendor page via a search snippet.
- Wave's Spanish support: nothing published that we found.
- Integrations and language support are vendor claims we have not tested.
Alternatives to QuickBooks Online and Wave
- Accounting & paymentsSquare (Invoices & Payments)Free plan; Plus $49/mo per locationSquare pricing
- PayrollGusto$49/mo + $6 per person (Simple)Gusto pricing
- PayrollSquare Payroll$35/mo + $6 per personSquare Payroll pricing
Picks for your trade
Software by trade:HVAC · Plumbing · Electrical · Roofing · Landscaping / lawn · Cleaning · Remodeling / general contracting · Painting · Pest control · Handyman · Pool service · Garage doors
QuickBooks Online vs Wave FAQ
Is QuickBooks Online cheaper than Wave?
Starting prices from the vendor pages (checked Oct 17, 2026): QuickBooks Online, from $38/mo (Simple Start). Wave, free (Starter); Pro $19/mo. So Wave has the lower entry price. Per-user fees and add-ons change the real total, so check the full plan list in the table above.
Do QuickBooks Online and Wave have a free trial or free plan?
QuickBooks Online: has no free plan; free trial: advertised; terms not read. Wave: has a free plan; free trial not stated. Trial terms are from each vendor's page, checked Oct 17, 2026.
Which is better for a solo owner or a small crew, QuickBooks Online or Wave?
We match QuickBooks Online to every crew size, from solo owners to 16+ people, and Wave to solo owners and crews of 2–5 people. By trade, QuickBooks Online fits all 12 trades we cover; Wave fits all 12 trades we cover. Crew-size and trade fit are our editorial judgment based on each vendor's positioning.
Do QuickBooks Online and Wave support Spanish?
QuickBooks Online: no published Spanish claim on record, so ask before you buy. Wave: no published Spanish claim on record, so ask before you buy. Language support is a vendor claim we have not tested.
Which job apps connect to QuickBooks Online or Wave?
14 tools in our directory list a QuickBooks integration (including Jobber, Housecall Pro, Workiz and FieldEdge); 0 tools in our directory list a Wave integration. These are vendor claims we have not tested; check your own job app's integration list before you switch.
Sources (vendor pages): QuickBooks Online (checked Oct 17, 2026) · Wave (checked Oct 17, 2026). Crew-size and trade fit are our editorial judgment. No vendor paid for this page. All comparisons · take the 6-question quiz.
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